Private Matelena And WWI 2nd edition (2018)

The

Supplementing*

The First World War, The Lightning Division,
and Private Albert Matelena ® 2009

® 2018. Dr. Brian A. Smith

y

noun

The Great War is an oxymoron
ox-y-mo-ron \ .ak-si-'mor- an, -se-\
(plural 'oxymora')

A figure of speech combining two normally
contradictory terms, e.g., 'deafening silence/

Origin: Greek From OXY ('sharp') and MOROS ('dull')

Oxymora are a proper subset of the
expressions called contradiction in terms.

The Great War

is an excellent example, for

No War is ever Great .

Introduction

In The First World War, The Lightning Division and Private Albert Matelena
(2006) the following appears on page 57:

“IS THIS THE END?

In the most obvious way, yes, this is the end ...of this book. But not the end of the story. ”

That statement held more truth than I had ever imagined. I knew there was more
information buried in archives and unit histories yet to be found and personal recollections to be
read. I anticipated two or three pages of additional information. As those sources were found and
the information extracted, I was surprised to find, first, ten pages, then twenty . . . and finally
forty! This is greater than the number of pages contained in that first work that specifically dealt
with the movements of the 31 1th Infantry Regiment, in essence, more than doubling the
information.

Information has been accessed that details almost every single day that Private
Matelena served, from his first day at Camp Dix, 12 February 1918, to his last, 30 May 1919.
Some of this information has caused me to reevaluate a couple of the assumptions I made and, if
a revision is called for, it will be found on these pages.

SO, IS THIS THE END?

The answer is not known by this writer. Who knows what other sources of information
are available and what they contain? Time will tell.

Index

Section Page

Camp Dix 1

The Yanks are Coming! 8

Saint Mihiel Offensive 12

Lorraine Operation 14

Meuse- Argonne Offensive 20

Armistice 33

Homeward Bound 35

The Great War is an Oxymoron 38

Memorabilia 40

Endnotes 41

78th Division Meuse- Argonne Offensive, Terrain Photographs 43

(American Battle Monuments Commission)

Camp Dix

Albert fought in World War I from 27 February 1917 to 30 May 1919. He was in
Company E, 2nd Infantry Battalion, 31 1th Infantry Regiment, 156th Infantry Brigade of the 78th
Division until his discharge. 1 The first draftees reported to Camp Dix on 5
September 1917. Nine days after turning 22, Albert reported to Camp Dix to
begin basic training. The last of the inductees of the first draft were required to
report to Camp Dix on 12 February 1918. It is interesting to see the desperate
need for men even at this early stage for, even though he was excused from
most daily drills due to pain over his heart caused by the heart damage from
his bout with typhoid fever 5 years earlier, he was accepted nonetheless. His
entrance exam at Camp Dix was performed on 2 March 1918 when he was
recorded as being 5' 43/4" tall and weighing just 126 pounds!2

The American Expeditionary Force was composed of just the 1st Army
(whose insignia is a black ‘A’ on a white and red rectangle) until the last
month of the war. October saw the formation of the 2nd Army (insignia: ‘2’)
while the 3rd Army (insignia: a white ‘A’ on blue circle with a red band) was
created four days before the Armistice. The Army had three components:

Regular Army, National Guard, and National Army. The Armies were made
up of seven Corps, before the Armistice, usually written with the Roman
numerals I through VII. The Corps had a total of 48 Infantry Divisions with
two Infantry Brigades each. Each Brigade had two Infantry Regiments, along
with Engineers, Machine Gun, and Artillery Regiments. The Regular Army
had thirteen Divisions, numbered 1 - 13, accounting for roughly 26 Brigades
and 52 Infantry Regiments with numbers between 1 and 100. There were

sixteen National Guard Divisions,
numbered 26 - 42, with about 34 Brigades
made up of Regiments numbered 101 to
168; and seventeen National Army
Divisions numbered 76-93, with 34

Brigades of Regiments numbered 301 to 368. By the end of the
war these distinctions had been abolished though they remained
in use in the field.

The command structure was as follows. Major General
James Henry McRae was the 78th Lightning Division
commander; Brigadier General James T. Dean commanded
the 156th Brigade and Colonel Marcus B. Stokes was
Regimental commander. Major George T. Adee was 2nd
Battalion commander and 1st Lieutenant John R. Kennedy

■: I -<

Major General James H. McCrae
78th Infantry Division

BRIG-GENERAL
JAMEST. DEAN

was Adjutant for the Battalion. Company E was under the command of Captain Henry P.
Warren, Junior with 1st Lieutenant Robert L. Davison, 1st Lieutenant Elsworth Dederer,
1st Lieutenant Clarence M. Finch, 2nd Lieutenant Albert A. Kelleher and 2nd Lieutenant
Paul W. Emanuel as his officers. Under the localization program in effect in 1917, the units of
the 78th were slated to be as follows: New Jersey men made up the 31 1th and 312th Infantry, the
308th Artillery and 1st Battalion, and 303rd Engineers; those from western New York state made up
the 309th and 310th Infantry, the 307th and 309th Artillery and 2nd Battalion, 303rd Engineers; men
from Delaware made up the Divisional Machine Gun Battalion; and other units had men from
anywhere as long as they were qualified. Of the 25,000 men of the 78th, roughly 3,600 men
comprised the 31 1th Infantry Regiment. They were proud to be one of the first to be presented with
their Regimental colors which they soon displayed at the Third Liberty Bond Drive parade in
Philadelphia on 27 April 1918. The 310th and 311th were reviewed by military and civil officials
from a grandstand near City Hall, and an estimated 2 million people lined the parade route.3

Camp Dix was built to house 50,000 persons, including several thousand Camp staff. The
25,000 men of the 78th Infantry Division were based there as were the 6,000 men of the 369th
“ Harlem Hellfighters ” Infantry Regiment (15th New York Colored Infantry
Regiment). The 369th occupied section 1 at the front, north side, of Camp
Dix from August 1917 to January 1918 at least while the 78th had the whole
south half of the camp. The 369th was one of four Regiments making up the 92nd
“ Buffalo Soldiers ” Infantry Division. For unknown reasons, most sources miss the posting at Camp
Dix (the posting to Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, South Carolina in October
1917 probably may have been one of the other three Regiments but contemporary
sources list Camps Funston, Grant, Dodge, Upton, Meade and Dix as the posts).4
The 369th was one of the most highly decorated units of the war with Private
Henry Johnson being the first American to be awarded the French Croix de guerre ; the United

States followed suit only 97 years late; President Barack
Obama awarded Johnson the Medal of Honor in 2015, 86 years

th

also

after he died. Sergeant Matthew Jenkins of the 370'
received the French Croix de Guerre.

78th Headquarters is centered on flagpole at left. Access to
Trenton and Philadelphia was by bus or train.

The Camp, bordering on Wrightstown, had taken over a couple villages, including most of
Pointville. For relaxation, Camp Dix boasted the Farmhouse Soldier’s Club in an old farmhouse
once in Pointville, overseen by the National League for Women’s Service; the Army also took
over and had men from the 78th run the ‘old Brick Hotel’ in Wrightstown.

There were changes in the surrounding areas as well: The Haversack and the Woman ’s
Suffrage Clubs opened in Wrightstown, while the Methodist Hostess House, the Farmhouse Club
and Saint George ’s Club opened in Pointville.

■ WEL

"JEWISH^

.FARE BUILD

nn|bn

• inriiln

And there were plenty of activities available on the base. The Y.M.C.A. Morristown Central
Hall in section 6 sat 3,000 and there were 9 Y.M.C.A. hut’s around the camp; all were painted a
distinctive green and called the red triangle because of their logo. The Y.W.C.A. was there too
with their Hostess House, a place for wives, girlfriends and mothers to visit with their soldier. The

KNIGHTS »' COLUMBUS HALL

COSY AND EVERYONE WELCOME. CAMP DIX

YWCA Hostess House

Knights of Columbus main hall sat 1,200 and showed movies on Monday, Wednesday, and
Saturday evenings.They had 3 smaller halls in the Camp. There was an office looking after the
welfare of Jewish soldiers (but nothing like that for the Harlem Hellfighters who are also omitted
from most Camp Dix literature, except for their much-praised Regimental band).

The Army’s Dix Theater, “the New Home for High
Class Burlesque,” had live and movie shows from 1 5c to 75c
with 70% being paid by coupons. The library system had a
main office and smaller branches throughout camp.

MAP OF CAMP 01 X

The 311th and 312th Regiments were in section 4, the most distant part of the camp to the
south ( left side in the map above). The section had 28 2-story barracks, each holding 167 men (250
if they were in the ones with a 25’ extension). Half of the first floor was taken up by the mess hall
which had a kitchen in a single-story extension. The other half had offices, storage and some
sleeping quarters. The entire 2nd story was sleeping quarters. Each barracks also had a machine-
gun barracks and a medical building. Each section also has its own railroad siding.5

Training included classes in trench warfare and weaponry. A rifle range was built 6 miles
south of the camp. Just south of Cranberry Hall and 3.5 miles from Browns Mills, it was 13.5
miles long! The range was 1000 yards wide for rifles and even longer for machine guns.

A Field Mass conducted on 12 May 1918 had 18,000 attendees!

U"i i : KTT- 1 » ■ T-— - «glt_ - .1 |

The bus service to Trenton was operated by the manager of the RKO Broad (we know it as
the CYO Building) with his movie house being, conveniently, the Trenton stop!

I have included the full 62 page report of the American Battle Monuments Commission of
the Terrain Photographs of the 78th Infantry Division during the Meuse- Argonne Offensive,
October 10 - November 5, 1918, after the endnotes. The maps with their attendant photographs are
a great help in visualizing the area, as it was, while the offensive was taking place.

The Yanks are coming!

Albert spent a year and ten days overseas, leaving Camp Dix by train for Jersey City at 4 am
on Sunday, 19 May 1918. Three hours later they boarded ferries that took them to Pier 8 at the
Bush Terminal in Brooklyn where they immediately boarded US Army Transport 599, the USS
Nestor. This ship had just been released from duty as a troop ship for the Australian Expeditionary
Forces and the 31 1th were the first US troops to be transported on this vessel. Convoys were
assembled under the direction of the United States Cruiser and Transport Force and his was
escorted by Armored Cruiser N° 13, USS Montana .6 Even today, an accurate account of the size
of the convoy remains elusive - some say 9, others 13 while 17 is also noted. The number of
named vessels in the train, i.e. troopships, found in the records so far is 15 with the Montana the
only escort during the first half of the crossing. After departing the states from Boston, New York
and Philadelphia, the convoy rendezvoused at Halifax Harbor in Nova Scotia before heading

across the pond on 27 May.

Most of the transports were British including SS
Winifredian, SS Vestris, SS Eurylochus, SS Kildonan
Castle7, SS Beltana, SS Northland, SS Miltiades, RMS
Saxon, and SS Justicia; HMT Aquitania and SS Kia Ora
were Australian. The USS Nestor, USS Louisville (SP-
1644; before and after the war named SS Saint Louis),
and USS Virginian (ID-3920) were American (though
there was an RMS Virginian that could have been the

ship in the convoy).

Convoys were split into Convoy Groups, each Group having 4 to 8 transports capable of
running at the same speed with an Armed Cruiser in escort until being met mid- Atlantic by a
European escort of destroyers and battleships. This
was designated a fast convoy. Each group should
have had its own escort but, other than Montana, none
have been named. Two named ships that have not yet
been identified are the Marvada and the Mentor. The
torpedo boat destroyer HMS (HMTB) Mentor was
probably one of the escorts.

I have reconstructed the convoy as best I can;
when they sailed the men did not know the names of
the other vessels in the convoy and sometimes even
their own was a mystery as it was policy to hide the identity of most vessels with false names and
fake structures like a dummy funnel. First, the escort, then another of the Nestor, and the twelve
more I’ve located.

Note on designations: SS means Single-screw Steamship ; TSS means Twin-screw Steamship (both being
related to number of propellers); RMS means Royal Mail Ship', HMT may mean His Majesty ’s Troopship
or Hired Military Transport; TBD means Torpedo Boat Destroyer, HMTB means His Majesty s Torpedo
Boat', USS means United States Ship and is reserved for commissioned ships only.

Note the razzle-dazzle paint jobs on several of the ships. This was to confuse anyone watching
them from correctly estimating their speed and direction. Taken from nature, e.g. zebras, it was
thought such patterns made it difficult to tell which direction a vessel was heading, just as the
stripes on zebras confuse attackers who aim incorrectly and miss. A zig-zag sailing pattern was
another effective measure against torpedo attacks. Whether or not this actually had any benefit has
never been properly tested. It did not for the Justicia; she was torpedoed six times by the German
submarines UB-64 and UB-124 seven weeks later and sank off the coast of Scotland. For the fate
of the Vestris : https://www.voutube.com/watch?v=nr6e41aZev8&index=7&list=WL.

In the early afternoon of May 28th the Montana reported a submarine sighting on the starboard
side of the convoy and the convoy commenced a zig-zag pattern for safety. The convoy was joined
by 3 destroyers in the early morning hours of the 30th.8 The Vestris sighted a U-boat on the 2nd of
June and one historian relates that the SS Beltana narrowly missed ramming a submarine on the
same day. The historian watched as two Allied torpedo boats gave chase, destroying the U-boat
with depth charges and watching its hull briefly break the surface before sliding out of sight about
300 yards off the bow of his ship - it’s impossible to refute the account of a firsthand witness but,
if his retelling is accurate perhaps there were two convoys which accounts for the conflicting
details of the number of troop ships. The alleged sinking is
corroborated in another unit history but in that retelling,
two U-boats were sunk.9 The Division history states there
were submarine attacks on June 2, 3, and 4. Some sailed
north of Ireland, through the Irish Sea into the Mersey,
with some of the convoy disembarking in Liverpool as
early as the last day of May.10 The Kildonan Castle headed
to Tilbury in London. The Vestris, Kia Oro, Beltana and Eurylochus left the convoy under escort
of TBD Morning Star on the 3rd of June.

It is rumored that Albert was disciplined for gambling on the transport ship.11 Many years
later, he was asked by an inquisitive grandson, just how one would run a crap game on a pitching
steel-decked troop ship and Albert proceeded to
show him: stretch an army blanket taut across the
floor. He then proceeded to instruct said grandson
of the necessity of properly cradling the die in the
crook between the second and third fingers, with
the “correct sides” facing up, to win.

A short march from the docks had him boarding an overnight train to Folkestone, near Dover.
On 3 June he boarded a fast channel steamer and, sandwiched between two American destroyers,
made a dash for the coast of Calais.12 They made for rest camps outside the town and, once there,

exchanged their American rifles for English Enfield’s.
Training continued with a move to Brunembert, near
Nielles-les-Belquin in Flanders, on 14 June; they stayed
through 18 July as part of the 2nd British Army Corps.
The better rest camps were long, low buildings with a
center aisle flanked by rows of bunk beds usually with a
pile of much-used hay marked ‘for beds’; the ones first
encountered outside of Calais were tents originally made
for 8 men now designated for 16. 13 On the 19th they
entrained at Lottinghen in the morning, reaching their
destination, Ligny-Saint Flochel station at 5:30 pm. From 18 July to 20 August they were in the
Arras area near Roellecourt as a unit of the 1st British Army; 2nd Battalion was at Maisnil-Saint

Sketch showing the Travels of 78th Division Infantry Regiments Through England
and France. The dotted and numbered section of map represents France.

Pol. They were supervised by the 14th
Highland Light Infantry until the 3rd
of August. (National Archives film at:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24776).

Elsie Janis, headliner on Broadway
and London, entertained the troops on
August 4th, being one of the first
American entertainers to venture close to the front lines. The 78th manned the “ G.H.Q.line the
second set of trenches, a couple miles behind the front line trenches with Company E relieving
Company B west of Arras in the Bo is d’Habarcq during the evening of August 6th. After this 24-
hour trial in the trenches, the 2nd Battalion marched to Hauteville in anticipation of entering the
front lines but this did not come to pass. They received orders on the 1 8th to prepare to leave for
the American sector and 2 days later they marched some 8 miles to Tinques, the railhead on Arras
Road where, once entrained, they headed east. The enemy held most of this part of France since
the Battle of the Marne in 1914; the Germans held Alsace and Lorraine since 1870. They, literally,
travelled in cattle cars marked “ Hommes 40, Chevaux 8” on the side. The two-day ride on the rails
skirted the northern extremes of

Paris and followed the River Marne
before detraining at the station in
Passavant-en-Argonne, after which
they may have been briefly assigned
to the 6th Corps Staff, presumably
the VI Army Corps that was
activated 1 August at Neuf chateau.

This map shows where the 78th
Division travelled during the eleven
months they were in France.

Saint Mihiel Offensive

Company E was billeted at Martinvelle, north of Passavant
from the 22nd to 28th; they exchanged English Enfield’s for
French Chauchats and were assigned to the 1st Army Corps, I
Corps (’Eye ’ Corps) which was activated at Neuf chateau by 20
January. The Regiment marched 13 miles, stopping in Fresnes-
sur-Apance, a couple miles east of Bourbonne-les-Bains on the
28th, then to Merrey the next day; Company E headed 5 miles
further and reached their assigned area of Domblain on the 30th.
From here, at 9:00 pm on the 4th of September, the 31 1th began
their first 8-hour night march, in a steady rain. Covering 15
miles that first night, they reached Saulxures-les-Bulgneville.
The next night march took them northeast to Courcelles where
they rested a couple of days and made good use of the time as,
on 6th, a target range was set up where every man disposed of
one 20-round magazine with their chauchat, the first and only
practice before meeting the enemy. On Tuesday, the 10th, the
afternoon march started out in a downpour but ended in a deluge
with gale force winds an hour later. Around 4 pm they crammed
20 men to a French camion or motor truck near Chatenois that
were driven all night by French colonial soldiers, Annamites or
Vietnamese, to bivouac in the Bois de la Cote-en-Haye, east of
Tremblecourt. Albert most likely had difficulty as he could not hike great distances without
suffering from disabling pains over his heart area. The last move before the offensive had the 311th
bivouacked a half-mile north of Domevre-en-Haye in the Bois de la Rappe.

The St. Mihiel Offensive commenced at 1 am on the 12th of September with a 4-hour barrage
followed by the advance of 7 American divisions at 5 am.14 On the 13th the 156th Brigade was
hurriedly ordered to Loge Mangin to reinforce 2nd Division that was crumbling under a German
counterattack. As they neared Regnieville, news was received from an indignant 2nd Division -
first, they were not under attack and second, if they were, they certainly would not need any help!
New orders materialized for them to head to the Bois de Hocquemont which they accomplished by
7 pm. Passing through Regnieville and Remenauville, two villages practically wiped off the earth,
the men witnessed dead and dying animals all around, unburied dead soldiers and only ruins where
once buildings stood; some men were ordered to rebuild the roads which proved useful the next
day. The 14th saw them march over the very same roads they had helped build the day before as
they retraced their march through the desolated villages, arriving at Bois d’Euvezin at 4:30 am.
They covered some 20 miles in just over 24 hours of almost nonstop marching. While here they
came under shell fire for the first time and being novices, gas attack warnings rang out 14 times
that first night; only 3 were issued the following night. The 78th remained in reserve until the night
of 15 September when the 155th Brigade relieved the 2nd Division with the 156th Brigade relieving
the 5th Division the following evening. The first action seen by Albert must have been both
frightening and exciting. After seven months of training and now actually participating in the war,
one must pause and wonder about the thoughts that accompanied him. At 8 pm on the 16th, the
311th began the relief of the 5th Divisions 61st Infantry Regiment while the 312th did the same for
the 60th at Vieville-en-Haye, the village suffering much damage as seen in the photographs. Most
has been rebuilt, including the Eglise Saint-Airy on Grande Rue, and the two farms on the map,
Tautecort on the left and La Souleuvre on the right, are found with the same names on Google
Maps today.

Elements of the 61st had advanced into the Bois de Grande Fontaine early on the 16th but a
vigorous German counterattack had pushed back the line which led to some confusion. Company E
was met by guides from the 61st but, for uncertain reasons, they were not placed in position and the
outpost line was not manned that first night.15 The 78th took command of the sector at 10 am on the
17th but, as the 31 1th and 312th halted the enemy advance on the 16th and quickly reclaimed lost
ground, they were credited with participating in the St. Mihiel Offensive which officially ended
on the 16th.

Lorraine Operation

The St. Mihiel Offensive closed on the 16th and the Lorraine Operation opened on the 17th.
The 2nd Battalion of the 31 1th took up the front lines with Company H in the outpost line, E, F, and
G Companies in the main line and Battalion P.C., or Post of Command, in the Foret de Vencheres,
as indicated on the map. Their orders were to fortify the trenches on the main line as well as the
platoon strong points on the outpost line. The main line was 1.3 miles from the Hindenburg Line,
one of the shortest separations in the American sector. IV Corps, immediately to the right of the
311th expanded its command to the west on the 18th of September, incorporating several sectors
from I Corps, including the 31 1th. Orders were issued from IV Corps on the 20th for raids in all

sectors to commence on
the 21st but little is
found in the record to
say what happened that
day but other sources
say that the 2nd
Battalion did not
conduct any offensive
raids until several days
later. Possibly the raids
were held off until the
front-line Regiments

were relieved; the 2nd Battalion was relieved by the 1st Battalion on the 22nd. The area was secured
and from there, raids into German held territory continued to divert attention and resources from
the upcoming Meuse- Argonne Offensive; the 3 1 lth’s first offensive was done by 1st Battalion
through the Bois de la Tru-de-la-Haye on the 26th. After making a gain of a quarter-mile and
taking a dozen machine gun nests and an equal number of prisoners, they had to fall back to the
jumping off point after sustaining mounting casualties in an effective barrage and counterattack.
Per Company B commander, this was the first time the men were exposed to the gruesome horrors
of seeing your soldiers torn apart by shelling and machine guns - and never actually seeing the
enemy that you are exchanging fire with. 2nd Battalion returned to the front lines from 27
September to 4 October which, for unexplained reasons, escaped the ABMC’s 1944 Summary.

The 156th Brigade was relieved by the 90th Division which may be a reflection of just how many
men had been lost so far (as there are 2 Brigades in every Division).

The U.S. Army Signal Corps has a film of the 78th searching and escorting German prisoners in
several sections, including the Limey sector, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24831

This map, from the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), shows where the 311th
was early on the 16th (upper left) and where they ended up later that day (lower right).

The Lorraine Operation is often portrayed as part of the Saint Mihiel Offensive for several
reasons. Geographically, the Lorraine region includes Saint Mihiel and the areas to the east where
the 31 1th was active. Both departments, Meurthe-et-Moselle for the Limey sector and Meuse for
Saint Mihiel, are part of the Lorraine region and both the Offensive and the Operation were in
Lorraine. Chronologically they followed each other without any clear ending of one and start of
the other at the time; only afterwards were the soldiers aware of the fact that these were two
different actions. There was no change in the goals expected in the Field Orders issued. The
distinction may concern the massive offensive strategy epitomized by Meuse-Argonne for U.S.
forces which saw actions launched not only along the whole of the Western Front but in every
theater of war - the Balkans, the Caucuses, Palestine, and even Asia. The Lorraine Operation was
considered to be a feint against the enemy to keep them unsure of the location of the imminent
offensive while Saint Mihiel was an offensive with its own separate, but linked, goals. The fact
that the Operation was both the mopping-up for the Saint Mihiel Offensive and the prelude to the
Meuse-Argonne Offensive keeps any clear demarcation quite obscured. One notable distinction

appears to be Offensives are known for their battles while Operations, at that time, were not. This
is reflected in the awards issued - only Offensives received recognition in the form of a medal;
Operations did not.

The 155th Brigade suffered more than the 156th with 854 wounded and 196 killed while the
156th had 468 wounded and 100 killed. Of this, the 31 1th casualties numbered 250 wounded, with
21 men dying from wounds, and 73 men killed in action.

The above is a time-lapsed shot showing both sides using star shells to light up no-man’s land
and the front line of the enemy. This was used for many reasons: to illuminate a path for a scouting
party to follow once it’s dark; an on-going illumination would keep the enemy from coming out of
the trenches; and they could be used to locate enemy’s machine-gun nests and mortar locations.

The following 3 maps show, first, the 1918 deployment of forces. The second map is a current
aerial view which shows that nothing has changed in a century; not only do the forests have the
exact same shapes but even the farms, Tautecort on the left and La Souleuvre on the right, remain
unchanged as mentioned earlier. The third map is included because it is one of the only ones found
to date that locate the Regiments on the ground.

MAP SHOWING SECTION OF LIMEY SECTOR OCCUPIED BY 31 1* INFANTRY ITOfPr-S^OCT 1918

90T^DIVr

VleviU® rn /

D 28

The following map is a rarity insomuch as the markings are down to the Regimental level
with boundaries and Brigade boundaries; most are at the Divisional level with an occasional
Brigade position found.

No 5
7© Division

in THE.

One last map, this one
from Harper’s Mid Week
Pictorial, shows Saint
Mihiel, the Limey Sector
and the outline of the
salient at the opening of
the Offensive.16

, PAb}‘jr

Meuse- Argonne Offensive

The first phase of the Meuse- Argonne
Offensive opened on 26 September with
Pershing throwing 9 Divisions along an 18-mile
front against the enemy. The German defenses
between the Argonne and the Meuse were
compressed to a depth of about 12 miles and
included the three lines that were standard along
the whole of the Western Front: the outpost line,
called the Hindenburg line by some and the Giselher Stellung by others; the Kriemhilde Stellung
was the main or 2nd line; and the Freya Stellung was the support trench. In Meuse- Argonne, these
were supplemented by the Hagen , the Volker and the Wiesenschlenken Stellung. The main lines
were constructed with concrete and had elaborate underground bunkers and facilities unknown on
the French side. This concentrated defense protected the train lines, the coal fields, the iron mines,
and, in the end, the line of retreat which pivoted in the Meuse-Argonne area. The goal of the
American sector was the severing of the Carignan-Sedan-Mezieres railroad at Sedan, 33 miles
from the front. This railroad supplied the whole of the enemy forces north and west of Sedan and
severing would force them to retreat.

The 78th was officially relieved on 6 October and attached as reserve to the U.S. Army III
Corps (activated 16 May). It seems they actually spent the unusually sunny and warm afternoon of
the 4th heading to the Foret de la Reine. The ‘front line battalion,’’ presumably 2nd Battalion as they
were in the front lines when the order to move arrived, only made it as far as the Bois des Grandes
Portions. They caught up with the rest of the 31 1th the following day, arriving at the Foret de la
Reine at 5:30 am on the 5th. At 4 pm that same day, the reassembled Regiment marched to Mecrin,
arriving at 11 pm. On 6 October, the Regiment covered 14 miles in 11 hours, marching through
Campigney and Menil and reaching Pierrefitte-sur-Aire at 10 pm. On the 8th, a 3-mile march south

brought them to Nicey-sur-Aire, where they boarded
busses, and were driven 24 miles to Beauchamp Ferme
in Foret d’ Argonne, arriving at 10 pm. On the 10th they
began marching at 7:30 am and covered 13 miles in the
Argonne ending near Camp Boucon just west of
Montblainville; the following day a short 3-mile hike
took them to the Bois de Chatel where 1,400 men, many
from the 86th, were added to fill out the ranks, bringing
the 78th up to 16, 756. 17 The roads were camouflaged
with huge screens stretching for miles.18

The 31 1th was assigned to the U.S. 1st Army
Corps on 10 October and readied for their chance against the German 3rd Army’s Group Argonne.

On the 12th or 13th the 156th Brigade moved up and bivouacked a mile south of La Viergette. That
same day, the German’s lost their iron grip on the Argonne Forest and shortly after contacted
President Wilson regarding an armistice.19 The Argonne forest was the extreme west end of the
American sector; the forest stretched for miles and was densely forested. Punctuated with deep
ravines, it was considered not only the most difficult terrain in the American sector, but also as
being heavily favored for defensive, not offensive battles. The high hills and deep valleys provided
many outstanding overlook points for positioning of machine guns while the River Aire passed
through a low-lying, wide valley that offered no natural protection for advancing troops. “ Every
hillside was honeycombed with dugouts where reserves and supplies could be kept with safety.

90

Cleverly concealed, narrow gauge railways ran almost up to the front lines.”

The original twenty German Divisions facing the Americans on 26 September had been
increased to forty-seven by the 1st of October. The 31 1th faced the 76th Reserve Division in the
Grandpre sector and the 2nd Landwehr Division between Chevieres and Agron Creek. The 2nd
Landwehr Division was relieved by the 240th Regiment on the 18th.21

U.S. Army Signal Corps film showing a panorama of the Aire River valley, the 78th Division
Headquarters and the troops plus a bridge built by the 78th,s 303rd Engineers over the Aire at
Grandpre is held by the National Archives in Washington, D.C. and is available online at:
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/24989.

As one searches their family history, many stories are told, some true, some not. This
author well remembers being told by Albert that he was wounded in battle in the Forests of
Argonne. Many years have passed since hearing that story in my parent's kitchen as a young child
but I can vividly recall Albert pointing to a brass doorknob and comparing it to his bald head and
stating that he lost his hair as a result of being gassed in WW 1. 1 have tried to piece together a true
account of the Second Phase of that offensive. This map gives an overview that spans September
and October; more detailed maps will be found later.

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At noon on the 15th the Division received the Field Order 25 directing them to relieve the
77th Infantry along a 3.5-mile front that night (see map on page 25). Since the offensive began on
the 26th of September the 77th had been slugging it out with deeply entrenched enemy in an almost
impassable forest. As they slowly moved north through the east side of the Argonne, the French 4th

I Division was having similar difficulties in the

These massive thick walls at CHEVIERES
crumpled under the heavy artillery pounding

western half of the forest. By the 5 they had
advanced very little, considering the gains made
by all the other units. So little in fact that a
narrow, but long, salient, around 5 miles long,
had been made from where the enemy in the
Argonne was able to thwart almost all offensive
movement. This was due in large part to 1st
Army HQ’s continuing insistence that Grandpre
was in friendly hands despite the many reports
proving the opposite to be true. Where they
conjured up this bit of deadly fantasy is
anyone’s guess. At the same time though they
realized the need to retreat for if the attackers

could close up in their rear, they would be trapped. German reinforcements began arriving almost
immediately and much of the spectacular gains of the first day or two would be lost in ferocious
counterattacks. With an American breakthrough to the east and a French one to the west, many
Germans saw that the war was lost - but still, in the Argonne they fought on. The 77th actually
cleared the Argonne on the 9th and had taken Chevieres on the 10th but, again the Germans pushed
them out of the village and back into the Argonne. By the 15th, they had managed to clear the
forest again and were making headway towards Chevieres once again. This back-and-forth
explains the seemingly conflicting accounts of which unit cleared Chevieres - 77th or 78th? They
both did - the 77th on the 10th
and the 78th on the 16th and 17th.

The Mr* l«K*t »t » <H**h <4 the DOfe* UW

At 9 pm on the night of 15
October, the 2nd Battalion of the 78th
division marched out to relieve the 77th
from the front line, the Kriemhilde
Stellung, as the fourth phase of the
offensive got underway. The front line
followed the railroad tracks from
Grandpre heading east towards
Chevieres, rounding that village on the
north between it and the River Aire. The
right held by the 77th was the western
half of the town of Saint- Juvin which
they had taken on the 14th and the left
was that portion of Grandpre south of the
east-west main street. Beginning at midnight, the Battalion P.C. was established in Chevieres and
the relief was completed between 3 and 5 am. The constant rain with knee-deep mud in some
places, coupled with a lack of adequate scouting meant any effort to advance was hopeless. 1st
Battalion was in support
position and 3rd Battalion in
Reserve. The History of
Company B, in the 1st
Battalion, disagrees with this,
stating that, rather than being in
support, they relieved the 308th
at 3 am on the 16th from their
line west of La Folle Ferme.

The ensuing problems were
wholly charged to the
incompetence of the staff at 1st
Army Headquarters. They issued some orders that assumed Grandpre was held by the 77th on the
16th.23 Other orders indicate otherwise as the 156th Brigade was charged with the “reduction of
Grandpre” on the 17th and 18th. Captain Thompson states the 77th and afterwards, the 78th, only
had a toehold in the south of town which was clearly reported to 1st Army. Thompson maintains
that 1st Army told the 78th that Grandpre had been taken and posed no threat. He continues, stating
that orders were handed to the 78th that called for attacking the west side of the Bois des Loges
which was north of the town for the 16th, 17th, and 18th. Thompson’s scenario is possible but it
conflicts with the scenario as presented in the divisional history of the 78th. In that history, it was
the 155th Brigade, not the 156th, the received orders to attack the Bois des Loges, which is backed
up with transcriptions of what are presented as the actual orders. Perhaps some ‘orders’ were later
altered to shift blame away from 1st Army staff. In the detailed map included in the history of the

division what is clear is that, even after the war, the positions of the forces were unclear
concerning the 155th and 156th Brigades. On the enlargement of that map that follows I have
highlighted the line of each day in a different color. You will note that they virtually disappear,
especially the red and lines, in Grandpre and a couple of other problems such as two very

different ‘jumping off lines on the 16th (blue and ) and an intervening line marked Oct 20

between those of the and 17th - none of which instills much confidence in the trustworthiness
of this map.

While the relief of the 308th was happening, the
31 1th received field orders to attack at 6 am.
Company B, having being informed of this at
5:30 am, just over 2 hours after they took up their
positions, was on the road heading towards
Chevieres at 6, as instructed, moving along roads
that were a mass of confusion. What with the 77th
heading back, the 311th heading up, the 308th
heading back, Company B heading up, and there
being just one road for all this movement,
confusion is an understatement. In the confusion of that night, reconnaissance of the front line was
not done and the ignorance and mistakes of guides led to ensuing troubles. Both the 77th and the
82nd Division to the right failed to deploy “nonpersistent gas,” presumably phosgene, in the Bois
des Loges on the 15th.24 Despite the hopelessness of the situation, the 31 1th launched their attack
through the early morning mist at 6:35 without the benefit of an artillery barrage and with virtually
no information about the enemies’ position. One history states they proceeded to take the town of
Chevieres and advanced to the Aire River where two platoons were able to cross before the mist

lifted. During the night of the 16th, the remaining troops crossed the Aire and moved to the west,
advancing the line towards Grandpre, covering a distance less than a mile before being stopped by
enemy fire. This conflicts with the official unit history which places the headquarters of the 2nd
Battalion in Chevieres by the 16th. The headquarters probably was there, after the 18th, but not
before that. The two platoons that crossed the Aire attacked machine-gun nests in the wood east of
the Ferme des Greves before noon and, contradicting the above, the ABMC Summary states both
platoons crossed back to the south side of the Aire that same evening. The 31 1th could not liaison
with the 310th on their right with good reason - the 310th was not there! The 310th did not reach the

front line for another 5
hours, at 1 1:30 am but, in
the absence of this
knowledge, the 311th pushed
on. That they were fired on
by enemy machine guns in
the woods north of Saint-
Juvin Road, less than half a
mile from the river, is a
good indicator that the 3 1 1th
took over a front line that had not yet reached Chevieres which was very exposed to these German-
infested woods. German artillery and machine gun fire prevented any advance for the rest of the
16th; the 31 1th sustained 5 men killed, 21 wounded and 21 gassed. There was almost a mile gap
between the 31 1th and the 310th at the end of the day. The canisters in the gas masks were damaged
in the river crossing and there was not enough time to get replacements.25

The Battalion was ordered to attack at 6:30 am on the 17th; the artillery barrage and gas
deployment was the duty of the 77th Artillery Brigade but it was relieved that morning before
doing either.26 The right advanced a mile to a crest north of Chevieres and the 31 1th was finally
able to liaison with the 310th on their right and the 312th on their left. By 1 pm their front ran from

the St. Juvin- Grandpre Road, north of the
Ferme des Greves (above) to a railroad
embankment less than a half-mile east of
Grandpre. Casualties for the 17th were 12
killed, 49 wounded and 49 gassed. That
night, the 303rd Engineers threw 4 four
bridges measuring 100’ to 139’, across the
Aire. Located between Chevieres and
Grandpre, each platoon was able to look to
a relatively dry crossing.27

The 1 8th started with a similar order,
a full front line attack at 6:30 am. This they
did, again with no artillery barrage; they

I .itnking South from (<uunl|i<o iuu'iril milnt.id marinn anil Argon no Pnrosi Timm trtfccn Oof. 18th. 1*118. tun Jays
aftoi the Yanks uuloteJ the town.

managed to advance to within a half-mile of their
objective but had to retreat under withering enemy
fire. Their objective for the 18th was to advance up the
west side of the Bois de Loges clearing it of enemy as
they proceeded and then to outflank enemy positions
held along the northwest edge of the wood. They
were able to advance about a mile before being
stopped. The Germans had about thirty machine-gun
nests on the western edge of the wood which, by
noon, stopped the 31 lth’s advance. Enemy fire from
Grandpre and from the heights beyond added to their difficulties.28 The objective given the 155th
Brigade was to advance up the east side of the Bois, maintaining contact with the 31 1th on the west
side, and sweep the enemy from the forest. The 310th was on the right of the 31 1th but, by noon,

The Squatt* in C! rami (ire < lumber 18th, 1918. The Hun is about 75 yards oft to the left, holding the "Citadel."

hospitals between the 17th and 19th. The Division Surgeon of the 78th reported 400 while the
Division’s Gas Officer reported just 72. German unit records give some specifics. On the 18th, the
2nd Landwehr sent over 200 rounds of
phosgene and mustard gas at 12:10 am
on the battery positions of the 309th
Field Artillery. The 312th was shelled
for ten hours on the night of the 18th
with phosgene, mustard, and sneezing
gas (diphenylchloroarsine) plus high
explosives.29

had barely made any advance. The mile¬
wide gap between the two units, in which
the Ferme des Loges was located, was
occupied by Germans. The 31 1th could
make no advance with enemy fire coming
from all directions - Grandpre on their
left; the Bois des Loges on their right; the
heights in front; and now from the Ferme
des Loges, their rear was exposed. The
U.S. Army records do not record any gas
attacks befalling the 156th Brigade.
Hospital records prove otherwise: 867
men from the 78th were admitted to gas

Ferme de^ Loges

The two pictures of Grandpre
on this page were taken on the 18th of
October, most likely the day Albert
was gassed.

The 311th fell short of their objective on the 18th, though they were within a half-mile of it
at one point. They closed the dangerous gap between them and the 310th the only way possible, by
retreating to their jumping off point. The 31 1th ’s casualty list that day included 9 killed, 27
wounded and 14 gassed; all the worse since not an inch of ground had been gained. Albert may
have been one of this number but this is far from certain.30 The 2nd Battalion was supposedly
relieved by the 1st Battalion that night by 10 pm, at least that’s the official version. The 309th Field
Hospital records for the 19th indicate otherwise; they treated 28 men from the 2nd Battalion on the
18th, 1 1 from Company E; on the 19th, supposedly after they had been relieved, they treated 40,
with 16 coming from Company E. There were no soldiers treated either day from 1st Battalion.
Given these records, the 2nd Battalion did not leave the front lines on the 18th as they were still
taking casualties on the 19th, and perhaps later. More research is needed.

On the 19th, the 78th directed a 2-hour artillery barrage that encompassed the town of
Grandpre, causing much damage. The 31 1th was to attack at 3 am, take Bellejoyeuse farm and
advance into the Bois de Bourgogne. Since there were no casualties from 1st Battalion and many
from 2nd, it is safe to assume that Albert, if not already wounded, saw action on the 19th. They
captured the Ferme des Loges after a grenade attack around 8 am with the right of the Battalion
holding the farm. A stiff counterattack was repelled by 7:30 pm but the left of the Battalion fell
short of Bellejoyeuse farm by a thousand feet on a slope east of the farm which they were still
holding at midnight. The following day they were pulled back to an east-west line from the Ferme
des Greves on the right to a railroad cut across the Aire on the left.31 Other sources say the line was
back to Saint-Juvin Road (which is a bit farther south). Eventually, the 31 1th headed to La
Besogne, taking up the reserve position. The pictures on the following page make clear the ferocity
of the fighting encountered by the 31 1th on the 16th, 17th and 18th.

This 1944 map shows the confused situation had not been figured out 20 years later!

I\ C. 78th Division,

15th October, 1918.
15:30 Hours.

FIELD ORDKR,

Maps: BUZAXCY — 1/40,000.
VOr/IKIlS— 1/40,000.

1 Pursuant to instructions from Ihr I Corps, the 78th Division, (less Artillery Brigade), will
relieve the 77th Division in its present sector, on the night of the 15/l6th October, 1918, under arrange¬
ments made by the C. G. 77th Division.

4. (a) 'Hie 77th Division holds its sector with the 158rd Infantry Brigade on the right, and the
154th Infantry Brigade on the left.

(h) The 153rd Infantry Brigade holds its brigade subsector with the 305th Infantry on the right,
and the 306th Infantry on the left.

(c) The 154th Infantry Brigade holds its Brigade subsector with the 308th Infantry on the right,
and the 307th Infantry on the left.

(d) The Sank regiment on each Brigade furnishes one battalion of infantryjas Brigadef Reserve,
and the interior regiment of each Brigade furnished one battalion of infantry for division reserve.

(e) The Divisional Machine Gun Battalion is also in Division Reserve.

(f) Latest information places P. C.’s as follows:

P. C. 77th Division at CHATEL CHEHERY.

P. C. 153rd Infantry Brigade at LA BESOGNE.

P. C, I5lth Infantry Brigade at LA MALASSISK FME.

P. C. 305th Infantry at 96.6-81.6.

P. (’. 306th Infantry at CORXAY.

P. C\ 307th Infantry at CHBV1ERES.

P. C . 308th Infantry at LA MALASS1SE KME.

P. C. Division Reserve at LA BESOGNE.

(g) BOUNDARIES OF SECTOR now held by 77th Division :

EAST (Right) BOUNDARY: ST. JUV1N (inclusive)— COTE 184 (inclusive)— Eastern
edge of the BOLS DES LOGES— RESILLE FME. (exclusive).

WEST (Left) BOUNDARY: GRAND-PRK (inclusive)— TA LM A (inclusive)— HAUTS
BATIS KME. (inclusive) — BOULT AUX BOIS (inclusive).

INTER-BRIGADE BOUNDARY, (from North to South)— Mcridan 494— Hill 430— Hill
*40- FME. DES LOGES (to Right Brigade) -CHEMEUES.

3. (a) The 156th Infantry Brigade will relieve the 153rd Infantry Brigade-

(b) 'llic 155th Infantry Brigade will relieve the 154th Infantry Brigade.

(c) The 153rd F. A. Brigade will relieve the 152nd F. A. Brigade on the night of 16/17th October,
1918.

(d) All concerned will make the necessary reconnaissance at once (down to and including i officri
from each Company and I N. C. (). from each platoon). Special services (Engineers, Signals, Medical,
etc.) will confer at once with their corresponding number in the 77th Division with a view to taking over
the corresponding service.

(e) Each organization will report to the next higher commander upon completion of the relief.
This report will cover the following points:

(l) Disposition of units down to and including battalion*.

(4) Location of P. C.

(3) latcation of front line and how held.

(4) Location, composition and name and organization of commander of combat liaison

groups.

(5) Casualties during rdief.

(x) The Divisional Reserve, consisting of one battalion of infantry from each Infantry Brigade/and
307th Machine Gun Battalion, will take over the present position of the 77th Divisional Reserve. Lieut.
Colonel A. 1). Rudd, 31 1 th Infantry, will assume command of the Divisional Reserve at 6 hours.

(y) ALL MAPS, ORDERS. ETC.. WILL BE TAKEN OVER BY INCOMING UNITS.

As Ai.bf.rt later told his younger brother John, he was advancing
up a hill and, upon reaching the top, the Germans opened fire. Albert
jumped into a foxhole that had gas in it (Albert always said mustard gas,

records of the Army
Expeditionary Forces say
chlorine gas while a 1957
analysis by the Army
Chemical Corps state that

phosgene, mustard and sneezing gas was deployed). He
was immobilized and had to be dragged out of the hole
and taken to an aid station. From there he was sent to

Lightning Division
Scaled Grand Pre
Walls on Ladders

Four Times Beaton Bark by
Gormans, Hit Anderson
Writes, They Finally Took
City ut Point of Bnvonel

The lightning Division, which trained
j at Camp Dix, N. J„ swarmed Into the
I walled city of Grand Prd by meuns of l
I ladders, accord! n gto a letter Colonel
! Alrord V, P. Andetion. commander of
j the UlLHh Infantry, wrote to hi? wife,
who in living in Newark, X. J, A
twelve-foot wall surrounds Grand Fr6,

1 Colonel Anderson wrote, and the 300th,

1 !:ilth and ft 1 2th Infantry swept for¬
ward four hint'* on September 15 in
vain ntiempt* to take it, the foremost
rjtnks touring ladders on their shoul¬
ders.

Four time* they were beaten bock hv
the German fire, but they rallied and
sharped again. The fifth uniuult took
l hr American* right tu thu old wall,
whore the) weft partly she'd mul from
machine-gun lire, and up the ladders
and into the city they poured, taking
it at the point of the bayonet.

Colonel Anderson said that he bail
been gawd mildly by n shell whirh
burnt In hi* dugout and Wiled a lieu¬
tenant,

"1 was called to the door for a min¬
ute,” he wrote. ’’One of my lieuten¬
ants tunic my place «t the table, When
1 cruno bach five minute* later a shell
hud plunged through the roof and ex¬
ploded in the pom* fellow's lap. In
trying In help him 1 w:n pissed, us
the bomb mtifit have contained gun r*
well ns an I'Hily iv, •"

New York

Tribune

Flo. -tO.— Field Hospital No. 13. ntor VMMk-oilCnply, July 2, I01S

Field Hospital 309 at Apremont which was used to treat

gassed soldiers ( similar to the one pictured ). On 21 October he was transferred to Field Hospital

312 and evacuated on 22 October via Evacuation Hospital 9 to Ward 45, Base Hospital 1 14 at

Camp Beau Desert, near Pichey, west of Bordeaux, arriving there on 24 October 1918. Records
indicate a variety of diagnoses: dysentery and gastroenteritis at FH 312 and EH 9, trench foot at
BH 1 14 and aortic incompetence; and dates ranging from the 18th to the 21st as the date of injury.

Beau Desert was slated to encompass 6 base hospitals: 22, 104, 106, 111, 114 and 121; plus
Provisional BH N° 7. It operated with 7,000 to 10,000 beds.33 Medical Department records state
that, of the 6 planned hospitals, only the 22nd and 1 14th were operational at the end of the war. At
BH 1 14 he was in Ward 45 followed by Ward 73 for 4 days total before being transferred to the
Convalescent Camp of the hospital on 28 October, where he remained for six weeks. While his
military record reflects the injuries and the hospitals, his name does not appear in the daily hospital
records. Albert listed his nearest relative as "Uncle Francis Degni" of Naples, Italy; nearest
being in distance. He remained convalescing until 7 December 1918 when he was returned to his
unit in Braux-Saint-Remy.

As the Imperial forces crumbled,
the 78th started to advance beginning on
the 21st and continuing to do so through the 5th of November when they were relieved by the 77th.

The photo at left was taken on
the 18th of October by the Signal Corps.
The men are from Company E of the
31 1th and they are transporting a
wounded soldier on the road between
Chevieres and Grandpre.34 This is the
same unit, date, and location where
Albert was injured. Given the casualty
figures, there’s a 5% chance the man is
Albert!

Of the 78th’s 493 reported deaths, losses in the 31 1th accounted for over half - 298 deaths, 231 of
whom were killed in action; slightly over 8% of the Regiment (the ABMC figures are different:
697 wounded, 57 died from wounds, and 194 killed in action). The 78th’s wounded came to 4,696.
The Battle Monuments Commission gives the figure as 5,015 and is believed to be the most
accurate.35

The Trenton Evening Times of 5 December 1918 carried the headline “ Pershing Praises
Trenton Soldiers. 78th and 29th Divisions Among Troops General Said Had ‘Steel Nerves The

Q /T

State Gazette (NJ) and Trenton Evening Times of 6 December 1918 reported his injuries:

1SMHH

"Count" Matelena Wounded in France:

,;v:.

Mr. and Mrs. JOSEPH MATELENA, of 421

Princeton Avenue, have received word that their

hi

son, Private Albert J. Matelena has been
wounded and gassed in battle. He is now
convalescent at Camp Beau Desert, France.

Matelena, better known among his friends as

"Count, " is a member of Company E, 311th

Infantry. He received his military training at

9HyHl

Camp Dix and went overseas with that division.

This map shows where the 2nd Battalion of
the 31 1th was on October 18th and 19th as well as the
direction of their advance. Since Albert was seen at
a First Aid Station around 4 pm, he was probably
gassed between 8 am and Noon. On both days, he
would be more likely to have been in the top left
quarter of each circle than any other quarter, but this
is an educated guess based on the time their attack
was launched, where was the jumping off point and
knowing where they were at various times on each
day and their ending position at the close of
hostilities for that day. (The red circle on the map on
is the area I wandered through in 1997.)

Armistice

After the Armistice on 1 1 November, the 31 1th boarded trains at Dommartin-sur-Yevre and
headed south about 130 miles, to the 21st Training Area where Regimental Headquarters located at
Semur-en-Auxois . The 2nd Battalion detrained at Les Lame-Alesia and marched 3 miles to
Pouillenay; from there each unit went to their
assigned location. Company E headed off to a
small village called Braux-Saint-Remy in the
Marne departmente; its population has not
exceeded 100 since 1962. Located some 6 miles
south of Saint e Menehould in the Cote d'Or,

Albert rejoined his unit there in mid-December,
staying until mid- April 1919. Pictures of the
village are difficult to find, but he was certainly
familiar with the village church. If he was in
Company B, he would’ve been quartered in
Flavigny-sur-Ozerman, the picturesque village
where the 2000 movie Chocolat was filmed.

In the morning, they would drill and practice with firearms while the afternoons were
devoted to athletics. The Flash, the newspaper of the 78th, made its debut on 6 February; its French
run ended with the 10 May issue. Each week 350 men would be given passes for 7 to 10 days in
one of the designated leave areas including the Riviera, Aux-les-Bains, La Bourboule, Grenoble
and others. Men could also get an extended leave to visit family in other parts of France, Great
Britain and Italy. It’s nice to think that Albert took advantage of this, but we’ll never know. On
26 March the entire 78th Division massed at Les Laumes for Inspection and Review by General
John J. Pershing. On 21 April, the 78th Division Association was created to assist the men in
returning to civilian life. U.S. Army Signal Corps film that includes the 78th Division encampment
is held by the National Archives and can be seen online at: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/89404.

Homeward Bound

In the last two weeks of April, they
headed towards Bordeaux in southwest France,
landing in Beautiran in the Gironde
departmente on the 30th. The 31 1th then moved
to the American Docks at Bassens, across the
River Garrone from Bordeaux, some 62 miles
from the Atlantic Ocean. The units of the 31 1th
headed home as vessels became available. The
USS Mexican (ID 1655) carried 2,404 military
personnel including the 31 1th Infantry Field and
Staff, Headquarters and Supply Companies,
Medical Detachment, 2nd and 3rd Battalions,
and the Ordnance Detachment.

Photo # NH 104008 Troops' mess hall on IJSS Mexican

Photo # NH 105771 USS Mexican arriving ut New York with homewurd-bound troops from Europe. lOIO

The ship returned to the Brooklyn docks and the men were ferried across New York harbor
to Hoboken, New Jersey on the 22nd of May.37 Boarding a train, they were at Camp Dix in a few
hours. [Other units of the 78th were transported on the USS
Otsego (ID-1628), the Radnor (ID-3023, 312th, NY 25
May), the Montpelier (ID-1954, 312th, Phila, 26 May); the
Santa Paula (ID-1590, 309th, NY, 28 May); the Kroonland
(ID-1541 ) or the Santa Ana carried the 78th Div HQ to New
York; the Julia Luckenbach (ID-2407, 310th, NY, 29 May);
and the Edward Luckenbach (ID-1662, Infantry
Detachment of 31 1th, NY, 29 May)].3*

Company order No. 7, dated 19 May 1919 at
Pouillenay, France lists Albert as one of the men of
Company E, 311th Infantry, entitled to wear 2 Service
Chevrons which designated being wounded. He was
also awarded the Silver Victory Button and received
$60.00 in bonus pay.39 During the war he had the Army
send a part of his pay to his parents. While he was
overseas, the Salvation Army Hut & Hotel was built in
Wrightstown; the fate of this enormous structure is not
known.

The 156th Brigade was demobilized at Camp Dix on 26 May 1919.
He received an Honorable Discharge in the rank of Private on 30 May
1919 40 This same day the City of Trenton announced there would be an
official reception for the 31 1th as well as a memorial service on 1 June for
the war dead at Cadwalader Park.41 A memorial was erected in the park
but it is not certain if its commemoration was made at this time or later.
Trenton’s war veterans of Company E had their first reunion on 21 August
1919 at the War Camp Community Services club rooms. Albert was one
of over 40 men that attended the reunion which included a showing of
Charlie Chaplin’s “Shoulder Arms.” He became a member of "Veterans of World War I."

In May 1919 25,000 men of the 78th created
a human work of art - the Liberty Bell.

The official history of the 78th Division lists 3
separate actions on their front cover yet other
sources list 2 - Saint Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne or
Lorraine and Meuse-Argonne. The medals ALBERT
received included ‘bars’ for the Saint Mihiel and
Meuse-Argonne Offensives.

!- DIVISION

N THE

WAR

AiNT M1HIEL-
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JEUSE-ARGONNE-

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The “Great War” is an Oxymoron

Many people, including this author,
previously looked at the First World War as
a conflict fought on four European fronts -
the Western, the Italian, the Balkan and the
Eastern Fronts, and, in that, it is correct.
Correct, but hardly complete. There were
three fronts in the Middle East - the
Caucasian, the Palestinian and
Mesopotamian Fronts. Less we forget, the
main belligerents had colonies - Germany,
France and England had colonies in Africa and Southeast Asia and their colonial territories all
shared in the miseries of war to a greater or lesser degree. The Western Hemisphere was not
unscathed either. The British and German Navy’s fought battles off both the Atlantic and Pacific
coasts of South America while trans-Atlantic shipping to and from the eastern seaboard of North
America was routinely attacked by Germany. The Entente - Great Britain, France and Russia -
had nineteen allied countries, if you include colonial possessions as countries, eleven if you don’t.
There were the three Central Powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire, to
which Bulgaria became the fourth. They had three allies in Africa - the Sultanate of Darfur, the
South African Republic and the Dervish State', and one in the Middle East - the Emirate ofJabal
Shammar; the German Empire had three African colonies that now encompass fourteen different
countries and one in Southeast Asia that is now eight separate countries, but leaving these out, the
total was eight Axis countries. Twenty-two Allied countries against eight Axis countries - thirty
countries at war - it truly was a world-wide war.

Americans are accused of, and rightfully so, looking only at the U.S. forces that served in
the war; Great Britain goes one step farther by listing all their colonial soldiers, whether they were
Indian (which then included Pakistan and Bangladesh), Canadian, Welsh, Scottish, Newfoundland,
Australian or any other Imperial possession as “British” knowing full well that many people hear
“English”. Though the U.S. declared war on Germany in April 1917, the first action of the
American Expeditionary Forces did not happen until September 1918. The War ended with an
Armistice just two months later - that
come to a total of 8 weeks! The War broke
out in July 1914 and the Entente and Axis
forces had been killing each other for over
4 years before the AEF was in operation!

Yet, despite abbreviated time span, the
U.S. mobilized the 7th largest number of
men - almost 4.5 million! 65 million men

were mobilized and, of these, somewhere above 8.5 million and under 9.8 million were killed in

Mobilized

Dead

Hounded

Missing/ PoH

Russia

12,000,000

1,700,000

4,950,000

2,500,000

Germany

11,000,000

1,773,700

4,216,058

1,152,800

Great Britain

8,904,467

908,371

2,090,212

191,652

France

8,410,000

1,375,800

4,266,000

537,000

Aust r i a - Hungary

7,800,000

1,200,000

3,620,000

2,200,000

Italy

5,615,000

650,000

947,000

600,000

US

4,355,000

126,000

234,300

4,526

Turkey

2,850,000

325,000

400,000

250,000

Bulgaria

1,200,000

87,500

152,390

27,029

Japan

800,000

300

907

3

Rumania

750,000

335,706

120,000

80, 000

Serbia

707,343

45,000

133,148

152,958

Belgium

267,000

13,716

44,686

34,659

Greece

230,000

5,000

21,000

1,000

Portugal

100,000

7,222

13,751

12,318

Montenegro

50,000

3,000

10,000

7,000

Allied Countries

Great Britain

United States

Russia

Canada

Italy

Serbia

Australia

India

New Zealand

Portugal

South African

Montenegro

Rhodesia

Poland

Romania

Gibraltar

Greece

Japan

France

Newfoundland

Belgium

Persia

action or died from wounds.42 An even greater number of civilians were killed, just over 10
million! These figures pale when compared to the Spanish Flu pandemic deaths in 1918 - 1920 that
numbered between 50 and 100 million!

On the last day of August in 1918 the 31 1th was 3,406 men strong; on the last day of
November, they numbered 1,592! The chance of coming through this 3-month period alive and
intact were less than 50-50 - now there’s a sobering thought - 53% of the Regiment were dead or
wounded, including Albert.43

NO WAR HAS EVER BEEN “GREAT”

Memorabilia

There remains a brisk market for ephemera associated with the Lightning Division.

Endnotes

1 Department of Defense, WW I Unofficial Service Records, State of New Jersey, National Army; for Albert Joe
Matelena, No. 2-409-639; NJ Archives, 185 W. State St., Trenton, NJ 08625; and records of the Veteran's
Administration, Bayonne, NJ.

2 Veteran's Administration records, Bayonne, NJ, for Albert Matelena.

3 Some photographs from: Roger Batchelder. Camp Dix. (Boston: Small, Maynard and Co.; 1918).

4 Walter B. Wolf (Lieutenant Colonel, 42nd Division) and Shipley Thomas (Captain, 26th Infantry, 1st Division)
Harper’s Pictorial Library of the World War, Volume 5, (New York: Harper & Brothers; 1920) p. 367; U.S. Militaria
Forums, 92nd Division at http://www.usmilitariaforum.eom/forums/index.php7/topic/l 9 1 -92nd-infantry-division/

5 Robert H. Moulton, “Semi-Military Buildings in the National Army Cantonments,” The Architectural Record Vol
XLIV, 1:21 - 30 (July 1918).

6 Albert Gleaves, Vice-Admiral U.S. Navy, Commander of Convoy Operations, A History of the Transport Service
(New York: George H. Dornan Company; 1921) p. 28 et. seq.

7 HMS Kildonan Castle , Log Book available at: http ://2. naval-history. net/OWShips-WW 1-08-
HMS_Kildonan_Castle.htm

8 Royal Navy Logbook, HMS Virginian , 17 - 31 May 1918. http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WWl-08-
HMS_Virginian.htm

9 George R. Morgan (Captain) Commander, Company “E” 312th Infantry 78th Division in France May 19th, 1918 to
May 31st, 1919. (self published; 1919) p. 3 et. seq.

10 Thomas F. Meehan, History of the Seventy-Eighth Division in the World War 1917-18-19 (Dodd, Mead and
Company, NY; 1921)

11 Information on children mostly obtained through conversations and correspondence with Tony DeSilva, Morrisville,
Pa., Marie Nabinger, Trenton, NJ and John Matelena, Trenton, NJ.

12 Benjamin Colonna, History of Company B, 31 1th Infantry, in the World War (Transcript Printing House, Freehold,
NJ; 1922) pp. 11-16.

13 Ashby Williams (Lt. Col., 320th Infantry, Company E) Experiences of the Great War (Roanoke, VA, Stone
Mountain Printing; 1919) p. 16 et. seq.

14 Information on unit movements from (1) Walter B. Wolf and Shipley Thomas, Harper’s Pictorial Library of the
World War, Volume V: The United States in the War (New York: Harper & Brothers; 1920); and (2) Frederick
Palmer, Our Greatest Battle (The Meuse- Argonne) (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company; 1919)

15 American Battle Monuments Commission; 78th Division Summary of Operations in the World War (US Gov’t
Printing Office; 1944) p. 12.

16 The war of the nations: portfolio in rotogravure etchings: compiled from the Mid-week pictorial. New York: New
York Times, Co, 1919; p. 176. Book. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/19013740/.
(Accessed December 20, 2016.)

17 Arthur E. Hartzell, Meuse- Argonne Battle (AEF General HQ, 1919) p. 10 et.seq.

18 Raymond L. Thompson, Captain, Regimental Operations and Intelligence Officer; A History of the Three Hundred
Tenth Infantry Seventy-Eighth Division U.S. A. 1917 - 1919 (New York: Assoc, of the 310th Infantry; 1919) p. 110.

19 B.H. Allen, “The Greatest Battle Never Told: The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, 1918 ” 9 November 2015, original,
unpublished historical research paper written for the historical research class of Porter Blakemore, Ph.D., professor,
Department of History and American Studies, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

20 Op.cit. Meehan, History of the Seventy-Eighth Division; p. 89.

21 Rexmond C. Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung October 1918 (Gas warfare in World War I,
Study Number 2)” United States Army Chemical Corps (Maryland, Army Chemical center; 1957) pp. 8, 10.

22 Barnard Eberlin (Captain), History of the 31 1th Infantry (78th Division) (Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, France; 1919).

23 Op.cit. Thompson. A History of the Three Hundred Tenth Infantry, p.138.

24 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , p. 1 1.

25 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , p. 22.

26 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , p. 14.

27 Joseph P.C. Roth, Sergeant, History of Company “E” 303d Engineers of the 78th Division (Rochester, NY: Joseph P.
Smith Printers; 1919) p.126.

28 Op.Cit , Merriman (fn 111)

29 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , pp. 23, 24, 67.

30 The 309th Field Hospital records are the only ones obtained for the 18th and 19th. The 312th FH records for the 21st
have been obtained. Still needed are the 310th, 311th, and 312th for the 18th - 20th. NARC Record Group 120.9.4 -
records of 156th Brigade and 309th - 312th Regs. RG 120.9.3 Maps 78th Div - 35 items

31 Op.cit. American Battle Monuments Commission; 78th Division Summary; pp. 24-31.

32 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , p. 19.

33 Antonin Guiullot, The American Camp at Allerey (1918-1919) “The American Hospital Centers” (1999)
http : //net . lib . by u . edu/~rdh7 / w wi/c omment/ Allerey / Allerey 0 3 e . hi ml

34 Collection of Harry Rupert, Chatel-Chehery, France.

35 vide supra Cochrane, “The 78th Division at the Kriemhilde Stellung , p. 64. (Possibly refering to endnote 15)

36 “Count” Matelena Wounded in France” The State Gazette, 6 December 1918, p.3, Trenton, NJ; and

"Five Focal Boys Among Wounded. Badstenbner, Matalena, Radice, Poland and Keegan on Casualty Fist"

Trenton Evening Times , 6 December 1918, p.2, Trenton, NJ.

37 The Sun (NY), 22 May 1919, p. 7; The Evening World (NY), 22May 1919, p. 1;

38 The Sun (NY), 25 May 1919, p. 14; New York Tribune , 26 May 1919, p. 11; 30 May 1919, p. 13; The Sun (NY), 28
May 1919, p. 11

39 Veteran's Administration records, Bayonne, NJ, for Albert Matelena.

40 Statement of Service of Albert Matelena, No. 2-409-639; Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Blvd., St. Fouis,
Missouri 63132

41 Notice appeared in the Trenton Times or the True American , 26 May 1919.

42 Chart is from http ://www. world war 1 .com/tlcrates .htm

43 Op.cit. American Battle Monuments Commission; 78th Division Summary; p. 48.

TERRAIN PHOTOGRAPHS
AMERICAN WORLD WAR BATTLEFIELDS
IN EUROPE

78th DIVISION

MEUSE-ARGONNE OFFENSIVE

OCTOBER 10 - NOVEMBER 5, 1918

PREPARED BY

THE AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS
. i COMMISSION

PREFACE

THIS album is part of a collection of photo¬
graphs of the various battlefields in Europe
upon which the Armed Forces of the United
States were actively engaged during World
War I. ' ' V

These terrain photographs were taken and
prepared by the American Battle Monuments
Commission, as provided in the act of Congress
of March 4, 1923, to complete the historical
record of the operations of the American units.
The series ' comprises 69 albums containing
1,396 photographs.

The contents of these albums will be of par¬
ticular value when studied in conjunction with
the Summaries of Operations, prepared by
the American Battle Monuments Commission,
which relate in detail the combat services of
each American division.

On the page preceding the photographs will
be found a small-scale key map showing the
general operation of which this divisional opera¬
tion was a part. In the pocket inside the back
cover will.be found a reprint of a 1: 20,000 map,
of the type used during the war, showing the
operation covered by the photographs in this

album. On this index map have been indicated
the position of the camera and the direction in
which it was sighted in taking each photograph.

Oh the page opposite each photograph is a
section of the 1 : 20,000 map of the terrain in the
vicinity of that pertaining to the photograph.
The white wedge-shaped portion of the map
indicates the sector of terrain which actually
appears in the picture. The plotted position
of the camera and the axis of the picture are
shown in blue, the length of the blue line approxi¬
mately indicating the depth of the view. The
circled number corresponds to the number of
the photograph, of which the numerals before
the dash indicate the division and the numerals
after the dash indicate the serial number of
the photograph in this division.

Various topographical features visible in the
photographs have been indicated by name to
facilitate orientation.

Complete sets of these albums have been
deposited with the National Archives, the
Library of Congress, the Historical Division
of the War Department General Staff $ and the
Command and Staff College.

American Battle Monuments Commission,

CHAIRMAN

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